Travel. Education. Fun. This is life in the military.

Living Overview

Living Overview

It may surprise you, but the Military offers a great balance between work and personal life. In fact, service members enjoy many opportunities to relax with their friends and family, including 30 days of paid vacation a year. In this section, learn about social life in the Military, housing, paying for college, health insurance, free travel and more.

Our Today's Military overview pages show the various stages of a military career, from the joining process to training, working and taking advantage of military benefits. Continue your journey below.

What benefits do service members get?

Beyond their salary, service members enjoy an exceptional quality of life while serving. Benefits include full medical coverage, tuition support and discounts at Military shopping centers. Explore these benefits below.

Paying for College

The Military offers multiple programs for helping service members receive a college education. They can be used both during and after service. In addition, if you have loans from already going to school, the Military can help repay them as well.

Discounts & Perks

Service members can shop for groceries and personal goods at on-base exchanges, which offer deep discounts on the same products and services you'd find at a civilian store. There are also a wide variety of free on-base activities, such as gyms, sports leagues and parks. On-base entertainment also includes movie theaters, bowling alleys and visiting musicians.

World Bases & Travel

Service members receive 30 days of paid vacation each year, and the Military offers free travel on military aircraft depending on availability. Traveling personnel can stay for free at bases located in multiple countries outside the U.S. and use amenities such as outdoor parks and swimming pools.

What are Social Life & Housing Like?

Family & Social Life

Family & Social Life

Service members get to live out their passion at work and build strong relationships with family and friends. And with the wide range of recreational on-base amenities and expanding support programs like child care, financial guidance, affordable housing and more, service members have the resources to care for their families and enjoy life.

Military Housing

Military Housing

Many factors come into play when determining housing for a military service member. Some of these include where a service member is stationed, whether they’re an active-duty member, Guardsmen or reservist and if they have a spouse or kids. Plus, qualified service members can live off base in civilian neighborhoods using an allowance they receive for housing.

Further Exploration

Narrator: What does it mean to live a Military life? It means whatever you make of it. It means plenty of free time with friends and family that's relaxing, or energizing. It means knowing that time was earned doing something that matters.

Because the Military understands that throughout our lives, it's the good times we share with family and friends — the people we care about the most — we remember best. The bonds you form here will last a lifetime — ­­camaraderie is an essential part of service.

And it's not just about “how” you live, but “where.” In the U.S., you can be stationed in places like California, Colorado and Hawaii. Then there are the 16 countries across the world where the Military has bases.

We also know making a good living is an important part of any life. Hard work is rewarded, with direct career advancements. It's a clear process with great results. Then there's the benefits beyond your paycheck, like paying for college. It all comes down to getting exactly what you want out of life.

So what does it mean to live in the Military? It's up to you to decide.